The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-04-19

PoAoueu III iulbiciiuS tuelf hllub pIeVhllb
The document Of Cardinal Gibbons hat
been endorsed. Thu Pope further decidet
that in Canada, whore mandate has beer
issued agsins. the knishts, the membert
Of tho order will receive absolution or
promise Of Obedience TO future decisions O
the Holy See. II tho knights identii,
themselves with theories now being dis
seminated by certain sgitators this deci
sion in their favor will be revoked.
ARCHBISHOP GIBBONS LETTER.
Tho Full Tcxt OF the Document Approved
by the Pope.
The following full text OF the doc
ument sen. TO the Propaganda at Rome by
Cardinal Gibbons, Of Baltimore, on tn,
position Of the Catholic church toward,
the Knights Of Labor, and which has
heretofore been printed in garbled form
was received from Rome by Bishop
John j. kain yesterday:
To His Eminence Cardinal .Simeoni, Prffec
Of the sacred congregation Of The Propa
gdnda:
Your EaISESCE:-1n submitting to the
Holy See the conclusions which, after eey
eral months OF attentive observation an(
reelection, seem to INC 10 sum up the truth
concerning the associations OF the Knights
OF Labor, l feel profoundly convinced o.
the vast importance OF the consequences
attaching to this question, which Ii but q
link in the great chain Of the social prob
lens OF our day, and especially OF oul
country.
In treating this question, I have been
very careful TO follow as my constan,
guide the spirit Of the Encyclical Letters,
in which our Holy Father Leo XIII has
so admirably set forth the dangera of out
times and their remedies, as well as the
principles by which we are to recognize
associations condemned by the Holy See,
Such was also the guide Of the Third
Plennry Council Of Baltimore in its teach.
ings concerning the principles TO be iol.
lowed, and the dangers to DO shunned by
the faithful either in the choice or in the
establishment Of those various forms OF
association, towards which the spirit OF
our popular ins!itutions 30 strongly impels
them. and, considering tho evil conse-
qucnCes that might result from q mistake
in the treatment OF organizations which
often count their members by thousands
and hundreds Of thousands, the Council
wisely ordained In. 255) that, when an as.
socisliol is spread over several dioceses,
not even the Bishop OF any one OF these
J;nnnnou ,t,,I ,o,,tap1o k,t pb,n ~oTo~
the case to stsnding committee, consist
ing OF all the Archbishops OF the United
States; and even these are not authorized
to coneemn, unless their sentence be
unanimous; and, in case they fail to agree
unanimously, then only the supreme tri.
bunal OF the Holy See cSn impose a con.
demna,ion; all this in order 10 avoid er-
ror, and confusion Of discipline.
The committee Of the Archbiahops held
q meeting towards the end Of last October,
At which the association Of the Knights OF
Labor WAS specially considered. To this
We were rot impelled by the request OF any
OF cur Bishops, for none OF them had asked
it; and ] mubt add that among all the
Bishops We know Of but two or three who
desire the condemnation. But our reason
was the importance attached to the ques.
tion by the Holy See itself; and this led
us to examine it with all possible care.
After our deliberations, the reaul. O!
which has already been communicated to
the Sscred Congregation OF the P!opagan.
da, only two ont Of the twelve Afchblsh.
ops voted for condemnation; and their
feagons we're powsrlesB TO convince the
others OF either the justice or the prudence
OF such condemnation.
In the following considerations, /
wish TO state in detail the
reasons which determined the vote OF the
great majority OF the committee, resgonH
whose truth and force seem to me only all
the more evident alter this lapse OF time
nor will fail to do justice to the argu.
ments advanced on the other eide.
CONSTITUTION or TIE sSIGHT5.
/. In the first place, though there may
be found in the constltution, laws and of.
fetal declarations Of the Knights Of Labor
things that We would not approve OF, still
We have failed to find in them those ele.
ments, 80 clearly pointed ont by the Holy
See, which would class them among con-
demned associations.
s) In their form OF initiation there Ia no
oath.
J) The obligation to Socreay, by which
they keep the knowledge OF their business
from enemies o! strangers, is not such no
to hinder Catholics from manifcs,ing
everything TO competent ecclesiastical au.
thority, even outside Of confession. This
has bocn positively declared to na by their
chief officers.
c) They make 10 promise OF blind obs.
dience. The object and tine lave OF thB
Association arc distinctly declared, and
the obligation Of obedience does not 10
beyond them.
d) They not only profess no hostility
againpt religion or tho church, but their
declarations are quite TO tho contrary.
The Third plenaiy Council commands
In, 2j3D that condemnation shall not be
paased on any rHsoGiation, without pro.
vious hearing Of iis oiiicurs or Representa-.
tiyes: "Aujiiis dncibus, coryphoiB, vol
socis praecipuia." Now, their President,
when sending mo q copy OF their cOnstitu.
ton, d, clared that he Ia n devoted CStll0-
lie; that he practices his religion faithfully
and yereives tho sacramento regularly
that he belongs 70 no Masonic society o.
other sgsnciation condemned by thu
church: that he knowB nothing in the or.
vsnization OF the Knights Of Labor contra
ry 10 the laws OF tho church, that, with
fiI,al submission. he begs tho pastor oI
tho church to c1 anime thair constitution
and lava, and to point ont anything that
may find objectionable, promiHing TO nee
10 ita CORRECTION. Aasuredly. thore 10 in
ail his no hostility to tho authority oi the
church, hut, on tho contrary. a dinposltion
In every way prsIen~osthy. Aiter thcil
conyeniion hold last yenr In Richmond
ho and eeyeral Of tho principal oitcorr
and members, hevOnt Catholics, made
DirniIar declarations concerning ths action
OF that convention, tho documcnts o.
which wo expect 10 receive shortly: :,
~ Nor do we find in this organization
any hostility 10 tho authority and laws o.
our country. Not 0uly doea nothing o.
tho kind appear in their constitution R4d